From H.S. Bhanwer AMRITSAR: Jasbir Singh (40) is the first Asian to become a lawyer of the Dutch Supreme Court.
Besides being a successful and popular lawyer, he actively works for the Indian Welfare Association and Indo Dutch Friendship Society. He has also been singing for the preservation and promotion of Punjabi culture in Holland, the country of his adoption since 1972.
During a visit to this city to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, he said that he was born and brought up in a sleepy village, Karaal Kalan, in Kapurthala district. He did his graduation from Government Randhir College, Kapurthala, with honors in English. The eldest of five brothers and sisicrs, he could not pursue farther studies due to the fragile economic condition of his a family.
He was on the way to the UK when a friend advised him at Paris to visit Holland. During his visit to Holland, be found people friendly, frank and hospitable, like Punjabis, and he decided to settle there. Since the people of Holland Jove their language very much and do not like to speak in English or any other language, he faced some problems in the beginning but he soon learned the local language on his own.
There are about 8,000 Indians in Holland, including 6,000 Punjabis, who are generally working in garment shops or factories. Among the Asians, Pakistanis outnumber Bangladeshis, Chinese and others. A fairly large number of Biharis, who migrated to that country more than 100 years ago as unskilled labor, are now natural citizens of Hoiland. They have preserved the Indian culture and a majority of them fluently speak Hindi, They will prefer to marry their children to Indians. Punjabis established a gurdwara in a rented building in 1978 and boucht a beautiful building in 1983 for converting it into a permanent gurdwara.
About his profession, he says he has specialized in alien laws and most of his clients are immigrants from Asian countries who want to take political asylum or settle there.
He shot into prominence last year when Chhajju Ram, a Punjabi from Gurdaspur district who had sought political asylum on being a member of the Hindu Shiv Sena, was deported to India Jasbir Singh took up his case and Chhajju Ram was brought to Holland at government expense. His case is pending in the Dutch Supreme Court.
About his future program, Jasbir Singh says he would like to spend the evening of his life in Punjab, preferably somewhere near Chandigarh.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 11, 1993
